Yelverton Bohemians completed their Saturday League programme with wins for each XI to cap a quite exceptional season.  Not only were the first, second and third XIs all champions of their respective divisions, but the thirds also won the Tamar League B Section Cup and the P&D Evening XI the division two title. 

Devon Cricket League E division 

Lustleigh v

Yelverton 1st XI

YELVERTON travelled to the idyllic ground at Lustleigh for their final match of the 2008 season knowing that they had already secured promotion and the championship title. 

Skipper Rob Guy in his final match as captain won the toss and elected to bat first on a rare sunny day in Devon.  The Bohemian openers started positively and reached 30 without too many alarms before Brain was run out. 

The introduction of Sessions (3-35) pegged Yelverton back as he bowled Bennett and Keen with his sharply turning off spinners.  When Farnham (35) was also bowled by Sessions, Yelverton were in some trouble at 50-4, but it was a partnership of 79 for the fifth wicket between Degg (39) and Stevens (37) that got the champions back into the match.  When Degg and Stevens were dismissed Yelverton's tail failed to push the score on and they finished on 181 all out with six overs remaining. 

Lustleigh's reply got off to a flier with S Wright (35) smacking eight fours in his brief stay as he dismissed some wayward Yelverton bowling.  Skipper Rob Guy (7-38) came on to bowl and took the wicket of Wright when he smacked a long hop straight to Brain at point.  However, Lustleigh continued to flay the Yelverton bowling with P Wright (40) and M Wright (50) taking the score to 154-4 with over 20 overs remaining to knock off the final 28 runs. 

It was the introduction of Brain (3-3) that swung the match back Yelverton's way as his accurate in-swingers bowled three batsmen and with Rob Guy picking up wickets at the other end the Lustleigh middle order and tale crumbled, losing their final six wickets for just seven runs. 

Yelverton (19) beat Lustleigh (8) by 20 runs.

Devon Cricket League C division

Yelverton Seconds  v Braunton Seconds 

NEEDING a win to be guaranteed promotion Yelverton got off to a good start with skipper Kevin Beare winning the toss.  Beare had no hesitation in asking the visitors from North Devon to bat.

The Braunton openers negotiated the early overs from Joel Avery and Dan Vince comfortably enough but Avery struck first to remove one of the openers courtesy of a well judged catch by Paul James.  Vince joined the party soon afterwards removing the Braunton number three caught behind by Beare.

The remaining opener Cresswell remained but started to run out of partners as Braunton continued to lose wickets at the other end.  Avery bowled his 13 over spell straight off and was rewarded with the fine figures of 6 for 39 — his first five wickets taken in senior cricket. 

Dan Vince (2-27) chipped in with another wicket and was then involved in the bizarre dismissal of the remaining Braunton opening batsman.  The Braunton skipper Bridgen drove a ball hard back towards Vince who in his follow through slipped over as he attempted to field the ball and the ball ricocheted off his boot and was deflected onto the stumps at the non-striker's end with the batsman well out of his ground. The Braunton innings was wrapped up for 80 when skipper Bridgen was caught at midwicket by Avery off the bowling of Chris Pearson (1-8).

After tea Yelverton started their response looking for the 81 runs in the 67 overs. Openers Pete Garland and Tom Watkins were in confident mood before  Watkins gave a simple return catch to the bowler with the score on 14.  Chris Cottrell joined Garland at the wicket and the pair took the score to 27 before Garland was caught behind. 

Braunton started to sense that all was not lost especially after Yelverton number four Paul James was bowled.  Mike Chetwynd lasted two balls, Dan Vince four and skipper Beare a couple.  Four wickets lost for the addition of only eight runs.  With the score on 47-6 and Yelverton in dire straights, cool heads were needed and the undefeated Cottrell and new batsman Dave Scott steadied the ship with a stand of 33 and the score to 80-6.  With one run required Scott was dismissed before man-of-the-match Joel Avery scored the winning run to give Yelverton victory by three wickets. Cottrell remained unbeaten on 26 no. Thanks to more winning draws than Ivybridge, Yelverton were divisional champions and promoted to the B division cricket.

 Tamar League B Section cup final

Yelverton Thirds v Launceston Thirds

 THE sun continued to shine on YBCC skipper Ashleigh Phillips, who won the toss and on a drying wicket put Launceston into bat.

Open bowlers Iain Cunningham and Fraser Coleman (2 for 20 off six overs) were soon bringing rewards. A bowling change brought Terry Roe (5 for 14 off 10 overs) and Ben Spear (2 for 34 off 10 overs) to the attack.

Wickets fell regularly and with only Launceston's number three bat, Edgeley doing any damage (34). Following the return of Coleman and the introduction of spinner Adam King, Launceston ended up 90 all out off 32 overs.

Bohemians opening batsmen were Andy Taylor and Lee Johns. Uncharacteristically Lee was bowled by Olaker for a duck. Richard Garland then was caught for nine.

At 20 for 2 it looked like it could be tight. However Ricky McDowell hit a controlled and stylish 38. Brian Spear (7no) and Andy Taylor (18no) saw Yelverton home in 30 overs to a victory by seven wickets.

 This has capped a very successful season for Yelverton Thirds who took Cup and League honours in the Tamar League B Section.

Man of the match: Terry Roe.